


What's in a Name?

by Kairi_of_Knives



Series: Flying Together [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Ambiguous Route (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Character Study, F/M, Female My Unit | Byleth, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Cindered Shadows DLC, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, Includes my take on Yuri's real name, Light Angst, Mentions of the other Ashen Wolves, Romance, Yuri's mother - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:15:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24244876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kairi_of_Knives/pseuds/Kairi_of_Knives
Summary: Sothis had always held that placing such strict importance on one's name was a purely human trait. Perhaps that was true, but Yuri had always believed there to be power in a name. What you called yourself and others was a window into your intentions, your feelings, your past.Or...four times where Yuri's relationship with Byleth was described fairly well by what name they called one another.Yurileth Week Day 3: Name/Trust
Relationships: Yuris Leclair | Yuri Leclerc/My Unit | Byleth
Series: Flying Together [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1677484
Comments: 8
Kudos: 73





	What's in a Name?

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Yurileth Week everyone!
> 
> I am almost done with finals (thank goodness), but I had enough time this weekend to write at least one small thing to celebrate our favorite couple. This fulfills the prompt of Name/Trust, but could be applied to others. While I do mention Byleth teaching the Golden Deer, since the Cindered Shadows DLC doesn't really fit into any of the routes, I labelled it as ambiguous.
> 
> Also, this is technically a part of my series Flying Together. The scenes fit within the story of Pack Dynamics, but you don't have to have read that story for this one to make sense. There are slight spoilers for Pack Dynamics in here, but nothing too heinous. Mostly just the name I use as Yuri's birth name and how I write his mom.
> 
> Enjoy y'all!

1.) Friend

The kids from the officer's academy were cute.

Yuri had been surprised when he first heard that the future emperor, king and duke were all on the roster for that year. Which nobles were gathered into a house often changed the dynamic they worked under. Two years ago, all the students in the Blue Lion house were minor nobles, commoners hopeful to reach knighthood, and him, a fraud sitting pretty in the seat of House Leader. It hadn't been too terribly hard to earn their trust and well regard. Up until the moment of his unfortunate dismissal, Yuri had brought the Lions glory and renown, despite doing so through unscrupulous means. Though, should a big name like Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd have been around in his day, that may not have been the case. 

The funny coincidence of all three future leaders of Fódlan ending up together on a mission to evaluate Abyss at the very least kept things intriguing. But Yuri was well aware that to live an interesting times was also to live in times of conflict. He wouldn't spit on his good fortune, having six capable pawns fall onto his side of the board as if by happenstance. Before long, he knew he would need them. Desperately.

Then there was their professor.

That woman was no pawn, that much was apparent at a glance. Even if he didn't know that the fabled Ashen Demon had been recruited as a professor of the Golden Deer house, battling her himself was more than educational. She was familiar with not just her own two students, but all of the gathered forces under her banner. One would never guess that they had never stood on the same side of a battlefield until that day. The professor herself switched between offense, defense and support effortlessly. And yet, despite being a jack of many trades, she was still able to defeat him in a one on one fight. 

The adrenaline pumping through him didn't settle after the Wolves had surrendered. Yuri evaluated their new patchwork allies thoroughly but he couldn't deny that his eyes kept finding their way back to Byleth Eisner. Calm, collected, capable, captivating...Yuri wanted to chip away at that beautiful armor until he saw what lurked beneath it all. Not the best use of his attention when all roads were quickly leading to the crux point he had been anticipating for two years now, but hey, you need to make your own fun sometimes.

His fun was currently about trying to get a reaction out of the apathetic professor.

"Hiya, friend," he greeted her, voice dripping with weaponized familiarity and perhaps a bit of sarcasm. His nickname for her didn't seem to faze her at all. In fact, the young sovereign duke seemed more annoyed than she was. Interesting. "Claude here thinks I have a hidden agenda. What do you think, friend? Do you think I'm off plotting nefarious deeds?"

"Yes."

The lack of hesitation tickled him. So cheeky, this one. "Brutally honest...I love it."

Byleth shrugged, sending Claude an pointed look. "You wouldn't be the first of my allies to secretly arrange things when no one is looking. I'm quite used to it by now."

The Riegan boy had the wherewithal to look ashamed by her gentle scolding, though he didn't doubt for a second it was a front.

Yuri tried that jab a couple times more. Attached to grateful praises in the heat of battle, casual conversation and even sultry flirtations. It was slightly frustrating how hard it was to get a rise out of her. Constance would have thrown a punch over some of the shit he had pulled. Especially the unsubtle invitation to a "midnight rendezvous", which was misdirection at it's finest. Yet, it was hard to focus on that slight twinge of disappointment when there were far bigger fish to fry.

Later, Yuri would marvel over how quickly that playful title became a very honest assessment of their relationship.

2.) Yuri

Yuri Leclerc wasn't a person. Not really. The name was a mask that he wore. Yuri knew it was a difficult concept to wrap one's head around. After all, he had worn this same mask for a long, long time. It had changed and bent and chipped over the years, wrapping itself more snugly against his face until even sometimes forgot that in the end, this was all an act.

Most days, it felt like a title. Not functionally different than the reverential "Boss" that Balthus and the others threw around so proudly. Just because it was fake didn't mean Yuri didn't own it. Everything he had done these ten odd years had been specifically catered to building a reputation. If the Savage Mockingbird wasn't well known and well feared, half of his operations were shot to shit the moment they began. For the sake of his people and their shared dream, Yuri couldn't allow himself the pleasure of being understood by someone. Allies could betray. Enemies could make predictions. Yuri Leclerc was, and always would be, a wild card. What heinous plot would he pull next to get what he wanted? No one could say. And that was just the way it had to be.

There was one person that stubbornly defied that natural order.

"Yuri."

Looking up from the most recent report from his spy in the church, he expected that if Byleth was seeking him out, it was to talk shop. They were orchestrating a search for a millennium old relic in an endless sprawl of caves while being hunted, after all. That wasn't the sort of mission one set off on without proper preparation. Yet, it did puzzle him how the tea set she was holding would come into play here.

"Hey there, friend. Need something?"

The professor's face was devoid of emotion, as per the usual, but her eyes had this eerie way of cutting through you. Honestly, Yuri wouldn't have been terribly shocked if she came right out and accused him of working with Aelfric right then and there. Inconvenienced but not really too surprised. It was just one of those tense stares two gold mystery novels loved to invoke. 

What did end up coming out of her mouth was a lot more confusion by comparison. "Have tea with me."

"Tea?" Yuri confirmed with a frown, brain struggling to comprehend this new odd layer to the professor's personality.

"Yes."

Yuri's eyes roamed the room for show, admiring all the work he still very much was responsible for getting done. "Right now?"

Byleth's gaze followed his for a brief moment. The woman was many things, but unobservant was not among them. He knew she knew what he was implying here. Or, rather, he hoped she knew. Truly, it was exceedingly hard to get a read on her. "I thought you could use a break. Call it a gesture of good will after our spar earlier."

Ah. Yes. That had been fun. Partially to satiate his own curiosity and in part just to have a bit of mirth at her expense, Yuri had asked her to spar with him earlier. It wasn't particularly like him. Even in his days at the officer's academy, he tended to practice his skills through live combat rather than simulations. Still, his pride was a bit bruised from their first fight so he was feeling like getting some payback. Yuri wasn't really sure what the optimal outcome was. It was a whim. Just a petty attempt to get something out of the stoic woman. What he had gotten was an ass kicking so satisfactory that he still ached a bit from it. But there had been a moment, two maybe, where those deep blue eyes had sparked to life with something other than apathy.

Having his chin titled up by the end of her blade so that he was forced to meet her victorious gaze had also been...interesting. But that was something to file away for later. Much later.

Yuri wasn't sure what convinced him to say yes. The anxiety festering in his chest the closer they drew to the day of reckoning with Aelfric, his exhaustion which was becoming harder and harder to hide, or maybe just the thrill of this new game he was playing with her. Either way, the sight of her fancy tea pot set up on a makeshift table made out of a rotting wooden box was comical enough for this to be worth it. She had brewed something sweet, Albenian berries maybe, and brought some jelly filled pastries that made his toes curl happily in his boots. Whoever the hell Mercedes was, Yuri made a note to kiss her if they ever met. 

His contentment loosened his lips. 

"Between you and me, are the princess and prince having...relations?"

Byleth cocked an eyebrow. "Edelgard and Dimitri?" Despite her dubious tone, she did give them a lengthy glance, considering his question. "I can't imagine so. Why?"

Yuri turned around in his seat, less than subtle in his appraisal of the pair, off in a corner of Burrow Street, discussing something animatedly. How curious. Was it a royalty thing, attempting to be secretive in plain site? Claude and Hilda weren't much better though, truth be told. "I dunno. Call it an educated hunch. Just look at 'em, friend. That tension. The frankly obnoxiously well measured distance between them. Kiss him or stab him, honey. Put him, and us viewers, out of our mutual misery."

The huff his rant earned him may have been a laugh but he still wasn't well versed enough in Byleth-ese to know. Turning back to her with a smirk, Yuri teased, "Laugh if you want, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm right."

Byleth didn't deny the laughing bit, attention strictly on him despite stirring her still piping hot tea. "I just didn't expect it is all."

"Hmm? Expect what?" he drawled, sipping on his own drink. It curled sweetly over his tongue. 

"You're quite the gossipy bitch, Yuri."

And, well, could anyone really blame Yuri for spitting his tea all over the table after such a blunt appraisal? It would have been a genuine pleasure to rip the professor a new one over such audacity, but the thought escaped him entirely when he finally met her eyes. If Yuri didn't know better, he would have said that the look upon her face was smug. But that would have been preposterous. The most emotion he had ever seen on the woman's face until now was the discomfort that came right before a sneeze. Who would believe that the unreachable Ashen Demon could manage such an expression for a wily bastard like him? 

He knew the burning in his cheeks was unrelated to the tea still dotting his chin and lip, but he wasn't about to admit to that. Yuri also would deny that the periodic chuckling fits that overtook him throughout the rest of the day were in any way related to being called a bitch by a woman he just met. A woman who called his name with a familiarity that was somehow different than Balthus's "bro-ship". Or Hapi's charming insistence on cute nicknames. In other situations, it may have alarmed him how easily they fell into each other's orbit. 

Yuri may just have a use for that fledgling connection budding between them, though.

3.) By

Those early days in Abyss hadn't been that long ago all things considered, but sometimes it felt like a lifetime. Yuri felt like an old man, reminiscing on his past and pondering how different he had been then. 

Change was a funny thing. Yuri had worn the same mask since Count Rowe adopted him and gave him the name Yuri Leclerc. Even then, the transformation was subtle. His blade still operated best cloaked in shadow. He still sought out exits and hiding places everywhere he went. His swanky new title had given him leverage, not sanctuary. Power, not security. Life was still a struggle no matter how expensive the clothes he wore were. Yuri still painted on a pretty mask using the cheap stuff his mom always used. The confidence that his words would carry more weight was the best boon he had walked away from that house with. Six years, maybe even ten, all being fundamentally the same person and now so many of his truths were being rewritten.

All in the span of months.

Now, he had friends. Real ones. The Ashen Wolves would watch his back in the thick of a fight, but also laugh with him at a tavern when their long days finally came to an end. He knew their worries, ambitions and quirks. And to a certain extent, they knew his. Not just Yuri Leclerc's... _his_. That wasn't a small feat. One they wouldn't have successfully done for years in ordinary conditions. It wasn't to say that Balthus hadn't earned his rights as one of Yuri's most trusted confidants. Or that Constance's childlike enthusiasm hadn't legitimately brought out some of his own. Or that Hapi crying unabashedly over dinner, recalling her village and how clear the stars were at night, didn't make him yearn to go there with her. To see it for himself. Not just him, but all of them. It was just that love, in any form, was not something Yuri was accustomed to. 

It was Byleth that first cracked the walls around his heart. Back when he first met her, he had endeavored to burrow into her core, just to say that he could. Byleth had beaten him to it though. She hadn't contented herself with being a piece on his chess board. Not even the queen. She was playing the game too, standing shoulder to shoulder with him, lending him her strategic genius when all their carefully laid plans inevitably crumbled to pieces. Accepting her place there had shattered the dam holding him back from accepting the friendships so warmly offered to him. Balthus had told him once that he had seemed lonely before. While he had never seen it that way, now he couldn't deny it. There were very few things as important to him as this family he had made for himself.

Yuri'd be damned if he let that slip through his fingers now.

The smell of antitoxin was remarkably unpleasant. Especially freshly brewed. Getting a sleeping person to drink one was challenging at best, disgusting at worst. There was no escaping the way it coated his fingers as he eased it down her throat, hoping that she didn't fight him and cough it up again. Yuri could sympathize with her distaste of the foul potion. If the smell was this bad, the taste must have been horrific.

Narrowly escaping death should taste awful though, he thought.

When he had chased down the brew with water, Yuri laid her back down against the pillows. As much as he wanted to join her in the land of dreams, Yuri knew if he didn't get this dish cleaned up now, it would take hours of soaking to removed the caked on plant gunk. He spoke aloud as he worked. "I'm still mad at you, you know. Your skill in tactics is matched only by your skill at running head first into danger. Even Balthus waits the split second necessary for us to catch up before punching his way into trouble. Taking care of you is such a pain."

Pulling the now serviceable dish out of the basin of water, Yuri quirked his mouth into a wry smile. "Though, I bet if I said that to the others, they'd say I'm just as bad. Which I resent on principle but...I _guess_ they're not too off base." He wiped his hands carelessly on his borrowed pants. They were already stained to hell and back before he even put them on. No one would know the difference. The candlelight kept the room in a dim blanket of shadow. When the sun was high, the light leaking through high window made the place look the attic it was. Under the cover of night, Yuri could almost trick himself into thinking this was a proper room. Just a quick stop on the way to their next destination.

Not the room he had almost watched Byleth die in.

Letting a shuddering breath escape him, Yuri gingerly lowered himself down to curl up beside her. Their bed was small. Pathetically so. Barely made for one person, let alone two. Yuri didn't care. He remembered that first night so vividly it pained him. Holding one of Byleth's cold hands in between his own, shaking fingers seeking out her pulse since listening for a heartbeat wouldn't do him any good. Counting the pauses between weak breaths, tears gathering in his eyes when he worried that they would slow to a halt. Sure, the herbalist who so graciously was helping him nurse Byleth back to health thought they were lovers. Who cared? The steady and strong rise and fall of Byleth's chest was a victory that he had earned. The warmth of her palm in his was a reward. If Yuri wanted to spend his evenings with his face buried in her shoulder and their fingers laced together, he was going to, damn it. Until Byleth herself asked him to do otherwise.

Besides, it wasn't as if he would get a wink of sleep if he couldn't be utterly sure she was fine anyway.

"Do me a favor, By? Wake up for me," he pleaded into her hair. "I'm not ready for this to be over. I don't want to write your name in my notebook. Not now. Not ever. There are things I still want to do with you beside me. Things I want... _need_ to tell you. If the Goddess wants to steal you away from me, she and I are gonna have to have some words. Cuz I'm not letting you go."

By the time the candle burned itself out, Yuri was fast asleep. It wouldn't last long. He'd jerk himself awake in a few hours to check on her again. Then again when the sun finally pushed him out of bed to give her her morning medicine. And maybe he'd speak to her in a low whisper, calling her "By" despite never once saying it when she was awake to hear it. Or maybe he'd sing and run his fingers through her hair. The particulars didn't matter. So long as she woke up, he would wait as long as he needed to. 

4.) Luka

If you had asked Yuri Leclerc, newly adopting into House Rowe and full of nothing but ambition and snark, where he thought he would be in ten years, his answer would have been something straight out of Robin Hood. Suave, charming thief who took from the rich, gave to the poor, and protected his crew. Any land he owned would be used as a base of operations. The only children in his life would be those he rescued off the streets and helped find their rightful place in the world. His marriage would be to his work, his dream. On and on he would forge ahead, thinking only of the end goal, until he died somewhere. Then, he hoped, that one of his people would take the care to bury him properly and write a letter to his mom. Maybe mark his name down in his notebook. Death wasn't just a risk, it was a certainty as far as fifteen year old Yuri was concerned. It scared him, but he also pledged to never shy away from it.

Twenty five year old Yuri definitely would have made the kid's head spin if he ever met him. Some things had stayed the same. The house that Yuri owned on the coast of the former Adrestian Empire was technically a place he could settle down if he wanted to, but functionally it was his mother's place now. Yuri had spent far more nights in the room Constance reserved for him in her manor than at his own, a fact his darling mama never stopped complaining about. He also still aimed to eliminate poverty where he could. Though, nowadays his gang was actually a well established entity and if he wanted to fix the taxation rate in Gautier territory, he marched over to Sylvain's villa and filed his grievances to the Margrave himself. 

As for the marriage part, well...

"Byleth, my dear, your hair is simply gorgeous! You must allow me to braid it," his mother cooed, carding his fingers through the azure locks of the woman in her arms. The younger woman didn't seem to mind being the object of such rapt attention, smiling so brilliantly Yuri thought he might actually go blind if he stared for too long.

"Thank you, Claire. It's sort of a mess at the moment. I don't care for it as well as I should so I doubt it will ever look as lovely as yours."

His mom blushed, eyes sparkling as she squealed in delight. "Oh, you charmer, you! You're just as bad as that one." Yuri arched an eyebrow at the accusation. "Now, just through here is my workbench. We'll have a nice chat while I doll you up. My little dove told me plenty about you, but I still think we are far over due for some good ol' fashioned mother-daughter time, wouldn't you say Bylie?"

Yuri knew he wasn't imagining the small, pleased smile on By's face at the word mother. His mom was exuberant, a force of nature even at her calmest. The last time they had spoken, Yuri had told her about Sitri and all the unfortunately aftermath of Aelfric's obsession. It was no surprise to him at all that his mother would welcome Byleth into their little family with open arms and a wide grin. He just hoped she didn't get too overwhelmed.

"Luka, darling," she called to him, head buried in her box of hair supplies. "If you're going to play the role of gorgeous statue, you may as well sing for us."

Rolling his eyes, Yuri scoffed kindly. "Fat chance, Mama. This bird doesn't sing on command even for his two favorite ladies. Besides, I highly doubt you need background music for a talk."

Eyeing him over her shoulder, Yuri could spot a playful glint in her gaze that spelled trouble. Curse his younger, weaker self for being such a mama's boy and spoiling her. Now, she would never accept "no" as an answer from him. "Bylie, have you ever heard any stories from my boy's childhood?"

Damn it. He had been afraid of this. Yuri pleaded with Byleth silently to refuse his mother's cruel game. To spare him the humiliation. Unfortunately, the only person in the world that could make him squirm as easily as his mom did was Byleth. And she enjoyed it just as enthusiastically. "Why no, I haven't. I'd love to hear some."

Claire looked ridiculously pleased with Byleth's support. "This may come as a bit of surprise but he was quite the romantic in his youth. Had a couple...interesting ideas about the ideal partner though."

"Mother," he snapped in warning, knowing exactly what story she was telling. Heat was already building in his cheeks just thinking about it.

Wrapping her arms contently around Byleth's shoulders, his mother's voice dipped down into a faux whisper. "He used to sneak into the local bar and watch the men arm wrestle and make a fuss. I'll never forget this one day he came home in a rush, jabbering about one of the barmaids who had gotten one too many unwelcome pats on her rear and cleaned some brute's clock. Twirled about our little shack, waxing poetry about how he wanted a big strong lady like her to sweep him off his feet."

Ugh. Crossing his arms, Yuri did nothing to hide the displeasure on his face. No matter how much his heart melted at the sound of Byleth's unrestrained laughter, he despised being the butt of a joke. Wiping a stray tear from her eye, Byleth grinned back at him. "Wow. I guess some childhood fantasies do come true, huh, sweetie?"

Alright. That was quite enough of that. Not sparing the cackling ladies so much as a glance, Yuri stormed out of the room as dramatically as possible. It was almost entirely theatrical. Byleth had seen far worse sides of him than anything his mom would be conceivably able to convey. Still, no reason not to ham it up. Would give him a good excuse to spend the evening running various errands under the guise of being "mad". 

As he threw on his coat, he could hear his mother struggle to speak through her chortling. "We only tease you because we love you, my dove! Oh, there he goes. So predictable. Ruffle his feathers just so and he flits away. So cute."

"Was that not your plan all along?"

Yuri could practically hear the smile in his mom's voice. "Right you are, clever girl. Now, where was I? Oh yes! Tell me about this father of yours. I've heard he's quite the character."

The port town they were in was a part of House Hevring's territory. Or rather, old territory. Linhardt had absolutely no interest in maintaining his family's legacy after the war had ended. The man had claimed the title of Count Hevring for a single day. In that day, he had pawned off all their family valuables, secured Yuri a house near the sea, and turned over the rest of his duties to Constance. Yuri had no earthly idea where Linhardt had wandered off to after that, but he knew where he could find out, if ever he had the need. What an enigma of a person, but an incredibly good ally to have. The best part was that the house was purchased under a cover name so no one would ever have the paper trail to go searching for them. The Mockingbirds may have emerged from the shadows to a more advantageous position, but that didn't mean Yuri was eager to do the same himself.

After all they had gone through, he and Byleth deserved a little anonymity. 

Yuri hadn't planned to stay away as long as he did. Catching up with some of his old men, seeing what needed to be done around the town and enjoying the cool breeze coming off the water distracted him sufficiently enough that he was a bit shocked to find most of the lights off when he returned. He found Byleth sitting on the chaise near the window and reading a book when he made his way up to their room. His mom's handiwork was unmistakable. It did seem somewhat a waste to curl and braid her hair so extravagantly shortly before bed. Yet, somehow Yuri also got the feeling she would have no qualms about repeating the process tomorrow morning. 

"How was your walk?" Byleth asked, placing a corded bit of rope in the book to mark her progress.

Yuri unfastened the buttons on his sleeves, pushing them up to his elbows. "Nice. Relaxing. The ocean is gorgeous this time of year." Leaning down, he pressed a lingering kiss to By's cheek. "Not as stunning as you are though."

"Flatterer," she accused, though the blush on her face told the true tale of her feelings on the matter.

"I only speak the truth, love. How was Mom? I know she can be a bit much sometimes. I hope she didn't tire you out."

Byleth shook her head with a gentle smile, standing and pressing herself contently into his arms. "You don't have to fret over that. I love her, Luka. How could I not? She's so sweet and lively and...everything a mother should be."

Everything her own mother has never been able to be for Byleth. Not for the first time, Yuri wondered what kind of woman Sitri was. How different Byleth would have been under her influence. "I'm glad, By. I know you never got a chance to get to know your mom. It's not quite the same thing, but if I know my mama, she's gonna do her best to fill that gap."

Squeezing him around the waist, Byleth peered up at him gratefully. "I'm looking forward to it."

Yuri couldn't resist kissing her. There was no way to describe how happy seeing the two most important people in his life getting along made him. Doubtless, no situation existed where that would have not been the case. If Byleth was the sort of person his mother wouldn't have approved of, he wouldn't have become so hopelessly entangled in her. Still, predicting it and watching it were different beasts. For so long, Yuri hadn't been able to include his mother fully in his life. He hadn't anticipated ever reaching a phase in his life where that would be possible. Now that he knew it was, there was a lot he wanted to work on, to perfect. 

But this was a damn good start.

Drawing gently away from their kiss, Yuri nuzzled his nose happily against her temple. "Getting pretty late. Should we head to bed?"

He felt Byleth's hum against his neck. "Actually, there's something else I want to do first."

"Oh?" Sometimes Yuri forgot how damn powerful his partner was. In one fluid motion, Byleth slid her hands down to grasp his thighs and lift him off the floor. Before he knew what was happening, Yuri found himself pressed firmly against the wall, legs curling around Byleth's hips instinctively. "A-ah! Byleth, what...?"

The predatory grin upon his beloved's face was just as arousing as the vulnerability of the position she had forced him into. Yuri's face burned, mouth suddenly uncomfortably dry. "I seem to remember baby Luka wanting a big strong lady to sweep him off his feet. Do I qualify?" Byleth pressed her hips tightly against Yuri's groin, coaxing a groan from him.

Throwing his head back, Yuri bit his lip against the slew of noises he desperately wanted to release. "Fuck. Yes. And adult Luka likes this idea very much but my mother's room is quite literally on the other side of this wall."

"Then I guess you'll have to be quiet _husband_."

Shivering, Yuri moaned into the heated kiss Byleth pulled him into next. It was never had to lose himself when he was with her. Yuri did try his best to mute himself, but judging by the sly grin his mother had shot him over her cup of tea the next morning, he did not succeed in that venture.

His life hadn't turned out at all like he imagined it would when he was young. His family wasn't just him and his mother anymore. The Ashen Wolves, though not always in the same physical location anymore, would always be home to him. And no matter where he traveled, he would always have Byleth. There were still places left to see, goals left to accomplish, people left to help. Oddly enough, the more they saw, they more uncompleted items there were on the list. That was fine though. There was no rush.

Yuri trusted that they would get there, in time.

**Author's Note:**

> Other popular nicknames for Byleth include but are not limited to: sweetheart, darling, dear, love of my life, mistress, Goddess, and a jumbled moan of syllables that may have been her name at one point. What can I say? Yuri's a chatty boy.
> 
> Part of the fun of writing a long story is knowing that there are many other small scenes and holes in the transitions where you COULD write small drabbles later. These were just some of my favorites. My next goal will be Pack Dynamics chapter 11, but who knows where my mind with wander to next? I do not control it. Yuri does.
> 
> Good? Meh? Awful? Lemme know! You can also find me @kairiofknives on Twitter or Tumblr.


End file.
